Guardian Angel
by Mistress Ashley
Summary: The Key's protector is gone. Another is needed. TtH FFA response for Dawn/Castiel non-romance
1. Chapter One

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Buffy or Supernatural.

**AN:** I've never seen an episode with Castiel but I've read enough fic with him that I feel I can at least attempt to write him. I just feel the need to warn you that he's probably very OOC but then, maybe not, he hasn't had the influence of a human host or Dean yet.

**_"Castiel's Mind Voice__"_**  
_*Dawn's Thoughts*_

This takes place immediately after Buffy jumps.

* * *

Dawn wandered dazedly down the tilting steps, which only seemed to tilt more as the world spun around her. Buffy had jumped. Buffy was ... It should have been Dawn. It had been her blood that had opened the portal - her blood was what was needed to close it. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. She wasn't real. She was just memories and Buffy had ... had jumped for something that shouldn't have existed.

Dawn made it to the bottom of the tower, feeling her knees give out as she saw Buffy. A sob caught in her throat. It wasn't real. This couldn't be real.

**_"It's real."_**

The voice made Dawn jump, her eyes flicking around. She found no one but the Scoobies huddled together in misery.

Great, she was going nuts ... but given what had just happened she guessed it was expected.

A gentle laugh eased over her like a balm for her soul. It still hurt but the pain was dulled. She felt she could at least make it home before her world crumbled. **_"You are not crazy, Dawn Summers. I would come in person but the Hellmouth is not safe for our kind."_**

_*Your kind?*_ A demon? This was just what she needed right now ... but it didn't _feel_ like a demon.

**_"Not a demon, child. I am something much different. I come baring news."_**

_*What are you and why are you in my head?*_ Dawn could hear the indignant whine in her voice and forced herself not to blush.

**_"We have many names but the one most familiar to humanity is Angel."_**

_*An ANGEL??*_ Why was there an angel in her head? A kernel of doubt wiggled through her mind. What if it was just a demon - a telepathic demon? It could happen. This was the Hellmouth after all.

Dawn felt more than heard the sigh. It was the type of sigh her mother, she ignored the sharp stab of pain at the thought, used to give when she was being particularly stubborn.

**_"An Angel"_ He confirmed. _"As I said, I come baring news."_**

A hint of resentment wormed its way through Dawn. Her sister had just ... just died and her mother before that and an Angel wanted to talk to her NOW? Why couldn't they have warned her before Buffy or even her Mom? Why did they choose now of all times?

Dawn felt the sympathy radiate from the voice. **_"Destiny is a hard thing to please, especially for those left behind. It was your sister's destiny to save you. Just as she is now destined for something greater. This, though, has left you without a protector."_**

Buffy was destined to die for her? _*What do mean destined for something greater? Buffy's dead.*_ It seemed to get easier to think as the voice dulled her emotions. Probably so she could think rationally.

**_"We don't have much time before my presence, even as small as I have made it, draws attention. Your sister is here, with us. Her destiny is unfulfilled so she will stay with us until the time comes. She misses you already."_** The last statement was added as an afterthought. As if he couldn't understand how Buffy could miss her already. Almost as if, maybe he couldn't understand the emotion at all.

_*She's okay?*_ Dawn felt her hopes soar. If Buffy's destiny were unfulfilled, she'd be back.

**_"Yes. She is perfectly fine."_**

Dawn's eyes were drawn to the body at the bottom of the tower. The body that the Scoobies were all gathered around. It seemed they'd forgotten about her for now.

**_"But this leaves you without protection."_**

_*What do you mean? I thought I was done. Giles said it was a one-time use. Even Glory said it had to be now - with such and such in the right alignment.*_

**_"For this ritual, yes but there are other uses for one such as you. Glorificus could only use you to open the way to her world inow/i, at this time but there are infinite realities and worlds that need a Key. Infinite possibilities and rituals with their own alignments."_**

Horror surged through Dawn. She thought she was done but she knew enough about rituals and planetary alignments to know just how many different ways she could now be used. He was right; there were infinite possibilities. If she could still be used, she was in danger every minute of every day. Not only was _she_ in danger, the _world_ was in danger from her.

**_"Yes, I see you grasp the direness of the situation. Your protector is gone and while I have been tasked to watch over you there isn't much I can do. I have no host and even if I did, I would not be able to step into range of the Hellmouth. While that, in itself, will protect you from a variety of demons and evil it will not protect you for long."_**

_*What do we do?*_ Dawn resolved herself to doing what was needed. She may have been young but she understood the situation ... probably better than any of the gang would but for Anya and Giles. They'd fight her on it, wanting to keep the last piece of Buffy with them but either they'd resent her for it when the demons started coming for her or they would die for her just as Buffy had and there would be no coming back for them.

The voice seemed to hesitate, to contemplate the situation before he answered reluctantly. **_"I will need a human host. I am ... hesitant as once I take a host contact with you will be limited. While my powers will be nothing short of awe-inspiring to humans they will be constricted, bound to a host."_**

Dawn thought for a moment. _*How long to put whatever plan you have into motion? How long would I be on my own?*_

**_"A few weeks given the stubbornness of those I have in mind."_**

Dawn glanced back at the Scoobies. Seeing they were still debating what to do with Buffy, she wondered if the Angel had done something to them. _*I think we can manage for a few weeks. It will take that long for word to get out about what happened here and for them to come for me. They can probably hold off the first wave. The more powerful will want time to prepare.*_ Dawn thought nothing of how her thought processes had sped up. She thought nothing of how mature she was handling this situation when not even yesterday she would have whined and screamed. Her mind didn't connect this with the amount of power that had to have been used to talk to her or how long that power had been wrapped around her so soon after her own power had cracked the world open.

**_"Very well. I will begin the search for a host."_**

Dawn felt the presence begin to withdrawal. _*Wait! I don't even know your name.*_

His smile came through as he answered. **_"I am Castiel."_**

_Fin_

___________________________________

Buffy is being saved for that big 'End-of-the-World' Battle. She's become some kind of Warrior Angel. When Hell opens and the demons pore forth, Buffy will be the one leading the Good Side's charge.

I'm pretty sure I'm done writing this but I'll leave this open to other authors just in case it sparks something for you. Here are a few questions that should be answered at some point and a bit for you to think on.

A simple explanation as for why I made Dawn more mature ... There would be a huge chance of Dean shooting her if she was the same whiny brat from the show. I think even Sam would be tempted after a while. That's not something I'd want.

Castiel will take his human host and contact with Dawn will be sparse. He'll try to convince the boys (could be earlier than he appeared on the show) to take in and protect Dawn. There's also the resurrection to think about. Will it happen? If it does ... What kind of screw-ups will happen? What about Buffy herself? As stated, she's a Warrior Angel - How will that come through to her human form? Will she stick around SunnyD or will she search out Dawn? To drag her back or to help protect her?


	2. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Supernatural or Buffy. I make no profit from writing this story.

**AN: **This is mostly just a filler chapter. A promise of things to come, as well as an explanation. I'm putting my own spin on a few things -Lucifer's defection, Castiel's creation, and God to name a few. If this is likely to offend you, please don't read.

Just a warning, Castiel is very emotional in this chapter. Probably much more than last chapter except, this time he's reacting to God's emotions rather than his own. Yes, God has emotions!

* * *

As Castiel pulled his presence, his Grace, from within Dawn, he felt a tightness in his chest. If he had such a shape, a form that could be comprehended in such a manner as to _have _a chest. It wasn't something he had ever felt before, or rather something he had felt from himself. It was something that no angel should ever feel. It was such a human emotion, an emotion linked with freewill and humanity.

Castiel's mind turned back, plucking the memory from the depths of his mind. He couldn't say for sure how long it had been since the memory took place. Heaven had no time, had no need of it for Heaven was eternal. Time flowed in Heaven like fierce waves crashing onto a sandy shore, forward and back, never the same, never something that could be measured.

If he had to say though, he would guess it had been a month ago, Earth time. He had been watching the most recent appointment of tasks and charges. The war was shining brightly on the horizon and tasks were plentiful.

One moment he had been watching Michael read off the scroll in his hands and the next he was somewhere else, somewhere different and unknown. Except, it wasn't -unknown, that is. This was a place every angel knew of. A place that only those rare few were allowed to gaze upon. The beauty of this place, this sacred place was enough to make Castiel's breath catch.

It was with this action that Castiel noticed he had a form. It was vague, no true features to speak of but his shape was wholly humanoid. His wings, black as night and so very large, he hadn't known they were that large by human perception, stretched on either side of him. He could see them, feel them but there was no strain from keeping them arched as such an angle.

He turned his gaze from his wings, taking in the magnificence around him. There were trees and flowering shrubs that hadn't been seen in millions of years. Castiel breathed in the scents of trees and flowers as they were meant to be. The colors were also not what the angel was used to. Time and human negligence had dulled his Father's beautiful creations. This first slice of paradise had also become the last, protected by his Father's embrace.

"Castiel."

The voice came from all around him and yet it came from nowhere, as if it had been planted right into his head, into his very thoughts. The pain came seconds after the voice, staggering Castiel and sending him to his knees with a pained cry.

The pain was new. He had felt pain, of course. Training for the war was not something to be taken lightly but this pain, the intensity of this feeling could have driven him mad. He wondered, in some protected, untouched place of his mind, if this was the pain the humans below felt when touched by the voice of an angel. If it was, it was no wonder they went mad from it.

Tears, shining, pearly white tears, slid from formless eyes as Castiel cradled his head, trying with all his might to muddle through, to protect himself from this voice as it echoed and resounded through his head.

"Hush now, Castiel. You were made for this, created to withstand my voice, just as your brothers and sister who came before you were. The pain will pass if you relax and allow it to wash over you," the voice instructed.

Castiel thought stubbornly to fight, to tense up further but there was no disobeying this voice. It was this feeling of utter obedience, of a landslide of emotion that rose up in him, more than being in the Garden that forced him to realize who this faceless voice belonged to. This was his Father's voice and there was no disobeying him.

The angel relaxed, slumped over into the shimmering grass and allowed the voice to slide over and through him. The pain didn't fade completely but it came in surges, washing through him like a heart pumping blood.

"There now. Isn't that better?" The voice, God, didn't wait for an answer. "There is much to discuss and very little time before someone realizes you are gone."

Castiel wondered, if secrecy was so important, why God didn't hide them or just force the other angels to look elsewhere.

The was a rumble through the ground and a harsh breeze swirling through the upper leaves of the trees. It took Castiel a moment to connect that this was God's way of laughing.

"I created you, my first children, to resist my powers. You were obedient but a piece of myself went into the creation of each and every one of you. You look to me like a father. You feel my love and my disappointment as any child would." A sigh ruffled the trees. "But like every child, you grow and you learn. My will grows stronger in most of you. You may question. That's the nature of children, after all but still, you follow me, you continue to believe in me, but in some," God trailed off. "Ah, my rebellious little children. They buck my will, throw tantrums to get my attention. They like to believe I don't listen. That I think less of them."

Castiel thought this was odd. His Father talked as if angels had free-will but that contradicted everything Castiel had been taught.

God sensed where Castiel's thoughts were going and posed the vital question, "How can their be fallen angels, if your only thought is obedience? You were created to be obedient, yes and I thought as you do now but I learned differently. I began to see the truth with the creation of the humans and Lucifer's reaction to them. It was then that I knew my will wasn't absolute. Maybe it was always like that, something that was meant to be, or maybe I stretched my power too thin between the angels and the humans. You may not wish to think it, but I was young once, back then and I reacted. I tried to bring Lucifer back into the fold but he fought ever harder. I understand now why he did it," God spoke sadly. "He loved this paradise I created and he loved me. No father wishes to look upon his children and see the wrongs they've committed but I see them, both the wrongs done by Lucifer and the wrongs by these humans I have made. I love them, even now but I am not blind. Lucifer looked upon the humans and saw what they could become. I saw it then too -not all of them but there would be those who would exercise their free-will. Call it a moment of madness but I knew this when I created them. What Lucifer could not, _would _not see, was the beauty these creatures could create. The depths of their souls and the wondrous emotions they could feel."

Castiel heard the awe in his Father's voice as he spoke of the humans. Castiel thought of what he knew of them and wasn't sure he could see it but he trusted his Father's choices.

"Lucifer didn't understand that you must take the good with the bad and the bad with the good and he turned from me when I would not destroy them. As I said before, I was young then and I didn't know it at first. Lucifer returned to the fold and everything appeared as it was, as normal as Heaven could ever be. He was my Morning Star and I thought my power was absolute. It was at this time, blind as I was, that he began preaching to his brothers and sisters. He turned them against me, planted the seeds of doubt of me and hate of the humans. He began to show himself to those humans on Earth, whispering in their ears and they used their free-will for Lucifer's purposes. He had them commit heinous acts in my name in hopes that I would be angered. Things turned dark and war approached. Angel against angel, brother against brother, and they fought in my name. This was not what I had wanted," God admitted. Lost in his thoughts and memories, he appeared to be talking mostly to himself at this point.

Castiel settled more comfortably and listened intently. He had been one of the few created after Lucifer had fallen, after he had been locked away -created to take up the jobs of those lost, whether to a true death or to defection.

"My children fighting and dying for what they believed in and I could do nothing to stop them. I tried. I managed small amounts of time but Lucifer was a charismatic leader and managed to rally his troops and before long my loyal children were dragged back into his fights. There was only once where the fighting stopped for any length of time. When the fighting resumed, Lucifer's ranks had swelled. Monstrous things now followed him." Horror filled God's voice as he spoke. "Lucifer boasted of his creations when we spoke. I was the only one to ever know how they were created. I managed to enact my will over him on that one point. The last I was ever able but it's something I am grateful for. The others had no need to know how these creatures came to be."

"Demons," Castiel whispered. Emotions swirled though the lightly scented air of the Garden. Emotions that were almost touchable, they crashed through the seated angel, vibrating along his being. All he could do was allow them to wash through him. He had no way of dealing with them, naming or cataloging them. Emotions were unknown to most angels and those who made feelings known were taken in for reprogramming. It was something Castiel had only had to deal with once and he had no wish to go through it again. Even knowing they were coming from his Father -if God could feel them, why was emotion such a bad thing in his children, in his angels? -it was instinctual to shy away from them. Castiel held tightly to his control, refusing to acknowledge these emotions as he listened, interested, to the story God was spinning.

"Yes, the creatures were demons. They had form then, monstrous forms and a bloodlust unlike anything I had created. I could do nothing less, after seeing what he had created, than to have Michael cast Lucifer out of Heaven. Lucifer was forced to Earth. A great deal of his power was lost with his connection to me and to Heaven. I was surprised when his demons were cast down with him. I thought with their connection to his power gone, they would fade from existence. Instead, they lost their forms. The blackness of their hearts laid bare for all to see. They became as you know them now, black clouds of evil."

There was a pause, the ground beneath Castiel shook, trees ruffling as God sighed. "We thought the war was over. Lucifer was nigh powerless, his demons bodiless. Then Michael brought it to my attention that angels were disappearing. Michael had managed to ascertain that it was Lucifer's doing. He was trying to steal a _grace_, to regain his connection to Heaven and the power that came with that connection. I was unsure of what to do besides call back those angels on Earth. Sadly, that left their human charges unprotected. The next wave of the war we discovered the true extent of the new forms these demons had gained. No more were they the slavering beasts in monstrous forms. They were much more intelligent but the true power of them was revealed when they attacked. They came wearing the bodies of those the angels had sworn to protect and when they attacked with the same ferocity of the demons of old, the angels were unsure of what to do. They had sworn to me to protect my creations and yet, they had also sworn to defeat these demons. Many were slain in the confusion and chaos unleashed."

The Garden was silent, not a sound or a ruffle of wind. This silence left an air of respect hovering over Castiel. He knew that is Father was remembering those that had fallen that day. Their names had been written into Castiel's memory, in all those who had been created after the war, as a remembrance.

"Many lines and destinies were destroyed that day. But the true horror came when Lucifer, more powerful than ever before, entered the battle. I was sure that he had somehow succeeded in his place to steal a _grace_. But the power he displayed was different than anything I had created in this world."

There was something about that last sentence that bothered Castiel, something in the way it was phrased -_this world._ God gave him no time to examine the thought as he continued speaking.

"He was getting help but it was from nothing in this world. I kept my suspicions to myself, helped in the war when I could, and investigated when I couldn't. That was how I discovered what Lucifer had done. He had brought beings into this world from another. These beings weren't evil, per say, but they also weren't good. They were neutral. They were beings obsessed with balance. Lucifer was my direct opposite but he was powerless. They gave him power to rival my own -for balance. They helped him to create more demons, demons with enough power to rival my Arch-Angels. Except, they didn't expect Lucifer to tip the balance with his new powers. He ripped a whole in the world and allowed a world overrun with demons to pore through. Demons, far worse in many ways, than his own creations came through the rips. They laid waste to large parts of the world. These beings, balancers that they were, that had been actively working against me, now worked with me to plug the holes. That's all we could do though, push plugs into the holes and seal them over. It prevented the flow of demons but there were still those already here."

"What did you do?" Castiel asked, unable to stop himself. He had gotten so caught up in the story, leaning forward to hear more, unaware that it was God's emotions that were affecting him so. Unused to emotion, he had no way to keep them out. He could only react to them.

"As powerful as we were, these being and I, we were unable to do anything about those already here. They were creating chaos and Lucifer was getting his wish. They were killing for the pure joy of it but they also needed humans as sustenance. We _had _to stop them. It wasn't easy and it cost the lives of many more of your brothers and sisters. We managed to expel them from this world but the last to leave certainly didn't leave quietly. He put up a fight, managing to inflict much harm on one of the humans that had pledged to help. After the demon was gone, Michael watched over the human, tending to his injuries. Azrael was one of the first to be lost, his power to heal was lost with him, so the job was tedious. Sadly, Michael could not save the human and he passed on. His soul returned to Heaven and he was rewarded for his deeds with paradise. Michael cleaned his body and laid him to rest, returning to Heaven afterward."

"So everything was back to the way it was. What happened to these beings? Did you change their mind about helping Lucifer? Did they take the power back?"

"Even if I had, it wouldn't have helped. These beings had brought change to the order of this world. They had brought balance and whether they left or not, balance would remain. It was set into the very fabric of reality now. It was for this reason that the events to come happened. With this new breed of demon gone there was a hole in the balance, a hole that had to be filled. Siler, or rather, Siler's body rose from his place of rest three nights later. His soul was still in Heaven, undisturbed and with no connection to his body. With the war back in full, it took us longer than it should have to realize there was a problem. By this time, Siler had infected others, who in turn infected more. We were being overrun by something I had not created, by something no one of this world knew how to deal with."

"The first vampire," Castiel said with narrowed eyes. This was not how history was told amongst the angels. This history was so very different from the paradise world the others talked of but Castiel trusted his Father to always speak the truth. Still, he wondered why he was being told this. If none of the other angels, even those who were there, remembered it this way, why him?

"Yes, vampires evolved with time, split into different sub-species like all creatures are wont to do but they are essentially the same beings."

"What happened then?" Castiel asked, feeling like one of those human children that asked for a bedtime story but the subject matter was fascinating. This was history, the true history of this world, told by the being that had created them all. Castiel felt pride for his Father and an up swell of love that shined brightly from his vague form.

"The balance was tipped in Lucifer's favor. The humans below were caught in the war and they cried out for help, prayed so strongly for it that I had to respond. Still, I wasn't sure how to help them. It was then that the beings came once again. They spoke of champions and magic to rival that of the demons. They spoke of protections against the new creatures that were cutting a path across the world. These creatures came under my rule now and while I couldn't kill them, I could alter them. I could make them easier to deal with for the humans below. I could give the humans the knowledge of how to deal with them. I chose those whose prayers were the loudest and I blessed them with my gift. They became the first Earth witches and they protected their villages, passing the knowledge on to those around them."

There was a tinge of sadness that Castiel could taste in the air and he wondered why that was. Wasn't it a good thing that the humans now had a way to protect themselves? He asked that question aloud.

"Their magic sank into the Earth, pooling into the dirt, rising into the trees. The world breathed the magic, made it a piece of itself and changed the humans who lived in areas of concentration. They too, now had the ability to wield this magic, but not all humans wished for the same things. The magic was neutral. It didn't care who wielded it or what they used it for. There were wars over who could live on magic concentrated areas and how those humans could use that magic. I tried to make up for my error. I put a block on the magic but the most I could do was make it so that only those strong of will could use it. It didn't stop the evil that was being done with my gift but there were fewer who could now use it. Sadly, not many were up to being protectors and the vampires swept across the world once again."

The world shook around the seated angel, anger swirling through the air. Castiel cowered into the tree at his back at the destructive power of that anger, that rage. The emotion sucked the light from the air and he was sure, had he need to breathe, he wouldn't be able to. It buzzed through the air for a minute or an eternity before it was gone, wind rushing harshly around him before the calm returned.

"This time, instead of looking to me for help, men of shadow took a girl -young, much too young, and tied her to the Earth. They summoned one of Lucifer's demons and tried to bargain with it but when that didn't work, they turned the power I had gifted them with onto the demon and bound it to the girl. They suppressed the mind, left the strength, the demon's skill for war, and it's ability to sense its brethren behind. They sent that little girl out to make war in their name while they cowered from the darkness," God's voice was harsh, booming through the trees and chilling the air of the Garden. "She was shunned for what she had become. Not human but also not demon. She became feral, lived and breathed the fight. I couldn't stop it. This was my world, my creation and I could do nothing. I created this world, this paradise, and now I was powerless in the face of all that I had created. I could do nothing but watch it destroy itself," God said with a bitter chuckle.

Castiel thought of the human's saying, of how God had created them in his image. He had thought it was a falsity, a pleasant myth to help them sleep at night but listening to his Father talk, he found it might not be so far from the truth. His emotions were bright and harsh, a thing of beauty.

"I knew this had to end. I called for Michael and through him I cast Lucifer from this world. I created a cage in one of the rips in reality Lucifer had made and I locked him in. His creations, his demons, were pulled into the darkness with him through their ties to him. In a fit of rage, I sent the angels who had served under Lucifer into the depths with them. The demons from the other world remained but were easier to contain once the war was truly over. The only demon of Lucifer's ilk to remain at that time was the one bound to Sineya. Bound as it was, it passed from child to child and I was unable to break that bond. These girls were of a great help in the fight and were honored for their sacrifices. Millions of Earth years passed before the first demon managed to break open a crack in their prison. They hid themselves in a human, worked in secret to free others of their kind. They worked diligently to open their prison, their Hell, completely. They freed enough that they had hopes of breaking Lucifer free from his cage."

There was a pause that had Castiel leaning forward once again, waiting with bated breath for what was to come next.

"We come to the part of the story I brought you here to hear. It was at this time that I created it. There was nothing else I could do. The seals holding Lucifer in weren't working. I needed something more powerful. I reworked the seals, added more, gave them impossible combinations. I even used my first daughter, Lucifer's favorite, in hopes that he wouldn't wish her death. Even then, I knew it wouldn't matter to him. If it got him free, he would slaughter ever one of his creations. So, I locked the seals and I broke off that bit of my power so that even I wouldn't be able to free him. I made a Key and I entrusted Michael with its care." A sigh whistled through the Garden before God continued. "Michael failed. The Key was stolen. Still, even with the Key, they had no understanding of how to use it. The seals needed to be broken individually. In the chaos that followed, the Key was lost. It was hidden even from me. I have my suspicions of how but I won't bore you with them. The world carried on. The war was fought silently. The humans evolved enough to join in -the first hunters," God laughed. "The Key turned up centuries later in the hands of an order of monks. I wasn't the only one to find it however. The demons knew where it was and influenced a group of knights. The demons had hopes that if the Key could be destroyed, Lucifer would be free. It wouldn't have worked but it also wasn't something I could allow. The Key, in the time it was lost, had developed a sentience, of a sorts. I couldn't allow it's destruction now. I blessed the monks with enough power to protect it. They did a magnificent job for many centuries," God stated proudly. "Then the walls between this world and another was punched through. Two of the ruling body had overruled the other and sent her through to this world. They shielded this power, placed many protections on it and it was lost to me until it began searching for the Key. How she knew of the Key I'm sure lies at the feet of the demons. The monks were overwhelmed by this power. Many lost their lives in the Key's protection. They had the idea of hiding the Key in much the same way as Glorificus had been hidden. I lent them the power to do so. The Key was turned human."

"Human?" Castiel asked, frown furrowing his brow. "Why would you turn it human? It couldn't protect itself that way, could it?"

"No, the Key couldn't protect itself but then, it couldn't protect itself in the form it was in either. That was why she was sent to the one most able to protect her. She was sent to Sineya's daughter. That one would protect the Key, her sister, to the end of the world if she had to. This is where you come in, Castiel. I've chosen you as the Key's next protector."

Shock jerked through Castiel. Him? He was to protect the Key? A task which even Michael had failed?

God continued on, "Sineya's daughter, her chosen, is needed for the coming fight. Lucifer's return is on the horizon and this _Chosen_ is needed for training. She will lead the fight when it comes. This leaves the Key without a protector and she _needs _a protector. If the demons should get her, Lucifer would be free much too soon. Plans need time to come to fruition and dissension in the ranks needs to be quelled. I'm sorry to say that you are also needed elsewhere. You are the only one I can trust with this task or I would not ask it of you," God said sadly.

Castiel pulled himself upright. He would accept his mission with pride and he would do his tasks well.

"Not only must you protect the Key but you must protect her on the front lines of the coming war. I charge you with the protection of the Key and the Winchester brothers -the vessels of Michael and Lucifer. They must not say _'Yes' _at any cost but that of the Key's well-being. The Key must always come first. If there should come a time that you have a chance to find the dissenters within the ranks, I charge you to do everything in your power to find them. I ask a lot of you Castiel but I would not ask if I didn't think you could do it."

With that the Garden faded from around Castiel and he was back in the spot he had just left. The first thing he noticed was that Michael wasn't there giving tasks anymore. There was no one around but a feel of the world around him, let him know not much 'time' had passed. The others were likely to believe he had had other things to do and gone elsewhere. That was good. There was no need to blow his cover so early after being given such a momentous task.

Castiel settled in to think, knowledge that hadn't been there before bubbling to the front. He now knew when he would be needed to start his task of protecting the Key. The feelings that accompanied thoughts for the Key were new. A gift from his Father who thought emotion towards his charge would make him better able to protect her. Emotions were new however and he wasn't sure of how to control them. If they could even _be _controlled. The only good thing was that the emotions seemed relegated to the Key. They tainted none of his other thoughts.

He also knew that the time would come when he would need a vessel. His Father had given him a list of possibilities but the timetable had been moved forward. Permission was needed before he could inhabit a vessel and those on his Father's list might not be ready.

That was how he had gotten here, feeling guilty for not telling the Key everything. She was special to his Father, much like Lucifer had been at one time, Castiel was sure. Why else would the Key's human form be named Dawn?

Still, he had given her enough so that she could protect herself until he could remove her. Castiel had taken his Father's suggestion and had left a part of himself behind. It would cradle the child's soul, make her better able to deal with the oncoming dark. He had felt the changes taking place even as he pulled away from her. By the time he met her again the Key, Dawn, would be ready.

Now, he just had to hope Jimmy was ready because he needed to get started on convincing the Winchesters immediately.

**END**

**

* * *

**The Key was named Dawn. Lucifer was Morning Star. Morning … Dawn, anyone getting this?


	3. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Supernatural or Buffy. I make no profit from writing this story.

**AN:** Dawn is going to seem very mature to some but there will definitely be outbursts, read: blowups, of childishness to come. Right now, it's mostly shock and denial that's keeping her from flipping. Being mature doesn't mean you don't freak out. It just means that you tend to know the appropriate time to do so.

* * *

Dawn pulled herself together, glancing at the ever spreading light from the sun. There wasn't much time; she made her way over to a sobbing Spike and pulling the tattered edges of her dress up, Dawn knelt gently beside him. She watched, feeling slightly detached as her hand found a place on his leather-clad shoulder.

"Spike. Come on, Spike." Dawn cajoled, watching the shadows surrounding Spike lighten. Very shortly there would be no darkness to protect Spike. "Get up. Get up, Spike!" The vagueness was fading fast and the world was coming back into stark, harsh color. She wouldn't be able to do this, to go on and fight the good fight, if she had to see Spike die too. Wisps of smoke rose from the edges of Spike's boots as Dawn tugged desperately at him. "Please, Spike, please," Dawn begged.

Her pleas caused Spike to lift his head, tears leaving clean trails in the dirt and dust coving his face. His blue eyes were bright with emotion and slightly cloudy as they tried to focus on her. "Dawn?" Spike asked hesitantly, eyes coming sharply into focus. He reached forward hesitantly, reverently, touching her cheeks with bandaged hands.

"Yes, Spike. I'm Dawn and you're going to be a big pile of dust if you don't move," Dawn growled, tugging hard on the reaching hands.

Spike's face showed his confusion before he looked over Dawn's shoulder to see the glowing ball of the rising sun. His eyes widened, grabbing Dawn around the waist to pull her further into the shadows. "Shit, pet." His head turned frantically, searching for cover.

Dawn scanned the area, skipping over the tower and the tiny crowd gathered around the bottom, before she found an open doorway connected to one of the abandoned warehouses. The door hung from its hinges, lock busted and hanging from the silver latch beside the door but the warehouse was dark with very tiny windows on the first level and most of those were boarded up. It would be a perfect place for Spike to spend the day.

With this in mind, Dawn dragged Spike towards the entrance, being very conscious of the fingers of light reaching out for them. She stepped over the body of one of Glory's demons; Dawn was sure this was the one that had broken the door down. It had probably happened during Xander's wrecking ball move. Her mind drew away from any other answer, such as Buffy's rush to the tower.

Dawn pushed Spike through the doorway, turning to head towards the Scoobies but found herself dragged into the warehouse with Spike.

"Don't go," Spike begged as he held tightly to her wrist.

Dawn moved forward hesitantly, wrapping her arms around Spike's waist as he head fit perfectly under his chin. It was odd, Spike always seemed so tall, larger than life but at the rate Dawn was growing, she realized she'd pass him up soon. She wished silently that she could always be this height, this perfect height where she fit perfectly into Spike's arms. It was a comforting position but since she'd grown it was now comfortable, no knobby knees or elbows to get in the way. The sharp curves of her body had softened just enough and she'd lost the coltish grace that had had her putting all those sharp edges in just the wrong place.

"I have to go, Spike. I … things need to be taken care of and they need me," Dawn tried to explain.

"I need you. What if there are still some of them little demon things out there? I can't protect you with the sun up."

Dawn's heart swelled with his concern but she knew the sooner things were taken care of the better prepared they'd be. The demons of the Hellmouth had to have felt the power last night … early this morning, and she was sure some of them would get up the courage to investigate tonight. They needed to be ready and to do that the Scoobies needed most, if not all, of the information Dawn now held. "It's not over, Spike. Just because she's–she's … dead," Dawn managed to force out, "doesn't mean the Hellmouth is gone or that there aren't still demons out there waiting for dark. Things need to be done before then and sadly, I think I'm the only one thinking of them." Dawn knew this wasn't the way she had been. She knew that she was, maybe not better, but certainly more mature since Castiel's visit.

Besides, Buffy had always told her survival was everything. The first rule of being a Scooby was 'don't die.' Her sister seemed to have failed in that rule but maybe, as much as Dawn wished otherwise, it didn't apply in situations like this. Her grief was put to the back of her mind because it had to be. Dawn refused to waste Buffy's sacrifice.

"Stay here until it's dark enough to travel safely and then find us. There are some things that I need to tell everyone and I want you there," Dawn said. She watched as Spike pulled himself together and she knew it was only for her sake. She could see the barely banked tears shimmering in his eyes. He'd break down once she was gone.

"Alright, pet. You go do what you need to do but you let me know if anything happens to you, to one hair on your head, I'm takin' it out of their hides," Spike warned.

Dawn nodded, giving Spike a sad smile. "Don't spend all day moping. We're going to need you at full strength."

Spike jerked his head in the direction of the door, "Git."

Dawn left, realizing as she did that Spike hadn't promised he wouldn't mope all day. She just hoped he would sleep because they really would need him at full strength. She made a mental note to have one of the others pick up some blood for him, human if they could manage that.

She exited the building with a deep breath, blinking as the bright morning sun hit her square in the eyes. She raised a hand to block it out, squinting as she made her way towards the bottom of the tower. The sounds of arguing assaulted Dawn's ears as she got closer.

"We should call the police. We can't just get rid of her, bury her in some unmarked hole!" That was Xander's voice, raised above all the others.

"No one can know. If the demons find out there is no Slayer stationed on the Hellmouth …" And that was Giles. The edge to his voice let her know he was close to going Ripper on them. That, they didn't need. Thankfully, he managed to pull himself together. "Still, the Council must be informed. No Slayer has ever been resuscitated before; it's unprecedented and no one is sure if another will be called in her place. If not, something needs to be done."

"You can't really be thinking of getting Faith released, can you? She's in jail for a reason," Willow yelled, hand clasped tightly around Tara's fingers.

"Right, just what we need, psycho Slayer to the rescue," Xander said sarcastically.

Dawn, it seemed, was the only one who noticed that Giles had said nothing about having Faith released. She didn't think the Council would go for that plan and it looked like Giles didn't support it either. The Council would probably just have Faith killed in a breakout attempt or a prison riot. A new Slayer would be called and everything would be peachy keen for them. Dawn wondered if they'd even send the new Slayer here. Probably not. They'd let the world go to Hell just to spite the Scoobies. They were likely to wait until they were all dead and then send the Slayer in to clean up the mess.

"And that leads us right back to no one can know. There is no Slayer to come to our rescue if things go to shit. You think you can deal with the hordes of Hell without her? I certainly don't! If they know, they will come. The Hellmouth has no protection, no one to call when we're in over our heads and you want to let the world know that it's open for business?"

Uh-oh, Ripper was in full control.

"Enough," Dawn's voice cut through the argument, drawing the attention of the Scoobies. "Giles is right. No one can know that -that the Slayer is dead." Mature she might be feeling but it was easier to use Slayer instead of Buffy. "We take her home and we'll figure out the rest once we're there," Dawn paused as she watched Willow and Xander stare at her with wide eyes, Giles polishing his glasses. She saw the shiver that went through Anya and the glazed look Tara was giving her. They had some idea of what was happening but it didn't matter at this point. All that mattered was that the others were listening, even if it was in a dazed and astonished kind of way. "Xander, get the tarp behind you. Giles, help him get her covered," Dawn ordered and was slightly amazed when they obeyed immediately.

She turned to Willow and Tara. "I need you to clean up. I'm sure you know a spell of some kind. There can't be blood of any kind, no trace that we were ever here. Anya, if you could gather the demon bodies, put them in a pile."

"What about the crazy humans?" Anya asked in her usual blunt way.

"Any living humans you find," Dawn sighed sadly, "get them moving in different directions away from here. We can just hope they'll find someone kind enough to get them to the hospital. Any bodies … pile them with the demons."

"Dawnie," Willow reprimanded, a tiny frown forming between her brows.

"We can't help them, Willow. The fate of the Hellmouth rests on our shoulders right now. Say a prayer over them if you feel you have to but burn the pile. It's the most we can give them," Dawn said. The Sunnydale police sucked but this many bodies and all the crazies running around was likely to attract unwanted attention. Their names would get thrown into the mix and they didn't need that kind of attention. She'd make them understand later but they needed to leave now.

Tara whispered in Willow's ear, gently guiding her away. That just left Anya staring intently at her.

"You're different," Anya said with narrowed eyes. "Something happened up there."

"Not exactly but close enough. Call it a warning of things to come," Dawn said ominously.

"It's bad, isn't it?" Anya asked.

Dawn wasn't sure why she always overlooked Anya. She guessed it had to do with the almost child-like approach she took to life but times like this reminded Dawn that Anya was over a thousand years old. She'd seen bad things, done many of them, and she was more intelligent and knowledgeable than they gave her credit for.

"Yeah, it's gonna be bad," Dawn confirmed.

Anya stared at Dawn for a moment longer before she nodded her head. With only that, the woman turned to the nearest body and began dragging it to another, piling it on top.

Dawn stood in the bright sun of a new day and her sister's friends, those years older than her who listened to her orders. They scurried around following what she had told them. Dawn felt like they were looking for someone to take Buffy's place, to be their leader and help them through this. Dawn wondered briefly what it would have been like if she hadn't been changed by Castiel's presence inside her. What would have happened to her as those around her got lost in their own grief? It was a sad thought.

Dawn wondered closer to where Giles and Xander were gently tucking the edges of the tarp around Buffy.

"We can't carry her like this," Xander said as he noticed Dawn's approach. He straightened up, wiping his hands compulsively on his dirty jeans. "I saw some old plywood over by the crane. It might not hold the weight though; given enough time I could find something else," he added hesitantly, knowing they really didn't have enough time, "but I was thinking maybe Wills and Tara could strengthen it somehow or we could use more than one piece. Between me and Giles, we should be able to carry it."

Dawn hadn't thought about that. With Spike out of the running until nightfall they didn't have anyone supernaturally strong. How were they going to carry her to the Summer's home? Even with the plywood, it would be an almost impossible task.

"We can get her to the Magic Box that way. We'll take the back streets and alleys to be safe. My car is parked at the store. It's not big enough for all of us but Xander and I can get things set up at home for you. The girls can walk you home," Giles said, hand falling onto her shoulder like a lead weight. It squeezed once before he let it fall limply to his side.

Dawn really wasn't looking forward to walking home for two reasons. The first, of course, was the sympathetic looks Willow had taken to shooting her as she and Tara wandered around the construction site casting spells at seemingly nothing. The other was not just the dress she had been forced to wear but the cuts the tattered dress was barely covering. The fabric was wet with blood already shed and though the bleeding had nearly stopped, walking pulled at the aching skin and aggravated the wounds that had been sliced into her stomach.

Still, she said nothing about it, pushing back her own pain in the face of the other's grief. She would patch herself up once they got home. Dawn nodded at Giles's suggestion.

"Go get the boards," Dawn said. "I'll talk to Willow and Tara about strengthening them."

Xander took off in the direction of the crane with his head down and his hands stuffed into his pockets.

Dawn watched him walk away blankly. This was all easier to deal with when she was doing something or even just making lists of all the things that needed doing. She shook off the memories and emotions that surged through her as she heard Giles shift. She needed to get away. This was no time to be talking about everything that had happened. Dawn wouldn't be able to function if she had to talk about it.

"Why don't you go help Anya?" Dawn suggested, turning her back to Giles.

"Yes, yes, of–of course."

Dawn heard him move away and breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't over though. If not him, if would be Willow and that was who she had to talk to next. Her only hope was that Tara would act as a buffer.

"How's the clean up going?" Dawn asked as she came into range of the two women.

"We -we think we've g-gotten everything," Tara stuttered softly. Though her voice was hesitant, almost shy, her eyes were sharp and clear as they took in the construction site around them.

Dawn nodded. "Good because Xander's going to need your help. Is there any spell you know of to strengthen some plywood? They want to make a kind of stretcher out of it but Xander's not sure if it will hold the weight," Dawn babbled.

Willow nibbled her lip, nose wrinkling as she thought. "There might be something. Tara?" She asked, glancing at the woman to her left.

"I know one that my m-mother taught me for sacred objects. Many rituals are done with w-wands or crystals that have been passed down through generations of witches so they put spells on them to keep them from b-breaking," Tara explained.

"Can it be used on something so big? I mean, I don't see why not but magic isn't exactly known for being linear in its thoughts. Not that magic has thoughts, right? If magic had thoughts wouldn't it say, hey, that person is using me for badness? Or is magic …" Willow said, words getting faster as she ran out of air.

"Willow. Willow!" Dawn called, cutting off the red-haired witch's babble.

"Sorry," Willow apologized, breathing deeply. She stepped forward, concern on her face. "Dawnie."

A dark expression settled over Dawn's face and the pale hand reaching towards her wavered. Dawn saw the hurt swim through Willow's eyes but she couldn't bring herself to care. This was Dawn's sister and these people were just her sister's friends. They didn't know what she was feeling. She knew it was harsh to think such things but she didn't want their comfort. At least, not now.

Tara seemed to sense Dawn's reluctance because she wrapped an arm around Willow's waist. "Come on, baby, let's go see if we can help Xander." Tara looked at Dawn with sad eyes but there was understanding buried there as she nodded, leading Willow away.

Dawn bit her lip harshly, swallowing back the tears that tried to rise. She thought of her sister in Heaven. She thought of Buffy looking down on her and she wanted Buffy to be proud of how she was handling this. She couldn't break down; just for a little while, Dawn had to be the leader. She just had to be strong for a little longer, until Castiel kept his promise.

The shadows in front of her moved and she saw a flash of bleached white hair. It made her feel a little better to know Spike was watching over her. It didn't matter right that second that if something were to happen Spike wouldn't be able to help. He was there for her and that was what mattered.

Dawn smiled in thanks towards that shadow. She watched the hair bob, revealing Spike's pale face as he nodded to her. That thin strip of paleness revealed was made even paler, sapped of color and turned a dull gray by the darkness. There was a flare of light, a tiny flame glowing in the dark before it was smothered. The tip of a newly lit cigarette glowed orange as Spike breathed deeply.

Dawn turned away from the familiar and comforting sight. Anya and Giles were just putting the last visible body on top of the pile while Willow and Tara were chanting over a thin piece of plywood, Xander watching on. Things were moving along quickly.

She was happy to see the plywood glow. Even happier when Xander picked the wood up, taking it over his knee as he tried to force it to break. The wood bent slightly but held strong no matter how Xander strained.

Satisfied, Xander set the reinforced wood on the ground, calling Giles over to help him settle the tarp wrapped Slayer tenderly onto it.

Dawn motioned Willow over. She knew the redhead wasn't going to like the job she had for them. "I need you and Tara to take care of the bodies," Dawn explained. "Burn the pile, contain it so you don't draw attention."

"Dawn," Willow said, voice trailing off as she shook her head, eyes wide as they found the very human bodies within the pile.

"I told you, it needs done. If you can't do it then everything we've done here has been for nothing. As soon as the sun sets, demons are going to be all over this place. They'll have felt the power used, some may have even seen the things that came through. Do you really want to lead them straight to us when we have no Slayer?" Dawn demanded. She knew people dealt with grief in different ways. She went into shock, Giles hemmed and hawed as he switched between the stuttering Giles they knew and an enraged Ripper, while Xander was burying his grief by putting himself to work.

Why did Willow have to revert to her younger self -the one who still thought the world was black and white? It wasn't like the woman had killed the humans in the pile and while Dawn understood her hesitance towards ignoring any wishes the dead might have had and forcefully cremating them, but were their wishes really more important than the safety of the world and all the innocent lives on said world?

Willow's shoulders slumped as she gave in with a gusty sigh. "All right, all right; I know a spell that should be able to take care of it, but I'll need Tara to help control it. It's a new spell I've been working on, kind of like a tiny miniature sun. Great for dusting vamps but it will burn anything that gets too close. If we tuck it into the bottom of the pile and amplify the heat it should turn anything it touches to dust," Willow rambled, focusing on the complexities of the spell instead of what she would be using the spell on. She wandered off to find Tara, thoughts wrapped up in a new spell.

They were making good time. If Dawn had to guess, she'd say it was barely coming up on 8:00 in the morning. Yet, with each passing minute, Dawn felt it was a minute too long. It was a weekday, meaning children were out waiting for their bus to school, men and woman were heading off to work if they weren't already there. Housewives would be out doing early morning shopping and stay at home mothers might very well have younger children at the park already after dropping older siblings off at school.

Still, this was Sunnydale and you could always count on Sunnydale syndrome if nothing else. No matter what Dawn felt, it was something they were going to have to risk.

There was a flair of bright light to Dawn's right which caused her to throw her arm up to shield her eyes. The acrid scent of smoke reached her nose before a gust of wind blew the scent away. Dawn guessed Willow and Tara had succeeded in their spell. It had gone perfectly, she noticed. There was nothing left of the pile but a few trails of ashes that the witches were clearing away quite efficiently.

"Why don't you two go ahead. We'll do a last check, make sure we got everything, and then we'll catch up," Dawn called to Xander and Giles.

Dawn sighed deeply as she watched them leave, makeshift stretcher carried between them. Anya dithered for a moment, eyes flicking frantically between Dawn and the retreating Xander before she scurried after him. Dawn rubbed her hand over her eyes. She was so very tired but there was so much left to do. Why did she have to be the grown-up in this situation?

Dawn shook her head, clearing the thoughts as she walked a slow path around the construction site, searching for anything they might have missed. Even one drop of Slayer blood would attract the more scent oriented demons. It was with this thought in mind that Dawn turned to Willow and Tara eyes wide.

"What about the scent trail we're leaving behind? Some of the books talk about demons who can smell death and follow it like bloodhounds," Dawn said, horror creeping into her voice. What if they could smell the difference and know the Slayer was gone? What would happen if they followed it to the house?

"I don't think the scent would stick around that long, Dawnie," Willow said.

Dawn panicked silently. This was no time for them to stop listening to her!

"B-better not to take c-chances though, right?" Tara asked Willow, eyes focused on Dawn.

"Yes, right," Dawn scrambled, "can't be too careful. Can you use that wind thing from before to get rid of the scent if we trail behind them?"

"It should work. I'd feel better if Spike could follow behind us to make sure it's working but it's the best we can do," Willow said.

"Alright, let's go," Dawn said, pulling herself out of her slump as she walked with renewed purpose, following the path the two men and Anya had just walked. "Start now," she commanded.

They walked the path at a brisk pace, hoping to get those they were following in their sights in-case they deviated from the path. The witches worked diligently on their spell, wind gusting around them as they walked, clearing the alleys and deserted streets of a scent no human could yet smell.

As they walked, Dawn was beyond thankful that she was in front; each purposeful step she took pulled and stretched the blood crusted skin of her stomach. The cuts themselves weren't exactly deep but they had been cut in such a way as to produce the most blood–far larger than paper cuts but just as annoyingly painful. Dawn bit her lip with each step, breathing carefully as she kept each step perfectly measured. No need to alert the witches. She was sure they'd make her stop and rest. If that happened, not only would they not catch up, meaning the scent trail would never be removed but worst of all, showing pain would bring up protective instincts that were buried under grief. It would make them realize that Dawn was younger, the 'baby' of the group, and then they'd never listen to her. The show and tell session later would be tainted because they'd look at her with condescending looks while they humored her. They certainly wouldn't take the threats to come seriously and that was something that could mean disaster.

It was with this in mind that she picked up her pace, pushing any pain she was feeling to the dark depths of her mind and hurried the witches on the path to the Magic Box. The sooner she got them there, the sooner she could take care of her wounds and rest before the chaos started.

End Chapter Three

* * *

Sorry it's not longer but I lost the thread of this chapter part way through. I didn't want to push the ideas and risk sending them into hiding. Hopefully the rest of it will come soon.


End file.
